inchapter 5 after he catches the children attempting to communicate with Boo by placing a letter in his windowsill. Scout reiterates her father's words by saying,

How would we like it if Atticus barged in on us without knocking, when we were in our rooms at night? We were, in effect, doing the same thing to Mr. Radley. What Mr. Radley did might seem peculiar to us, but it did not seem peculiar to him. Furthermore, had it never occurred to us that the civil way to communicate with another being was by the front door instead of a side window? (Lee, 50).

While chastising the children for their actions, Atticus encourages them to stand in Boo Radley's shoes and view the situation from his perspective. Essentially, Atticus is teaching his children to treat Boo with the same level of respect they would want and expect from others when communicating.

In chapter 11, Atticus demonstrates the Golden Rule again by treating his racist neighbor with kindness and sympathy. Mrs. Dubose is depicted as a rude, offensive woman. She continually criticizes Atticus in front of his children. Despite Mrs. Dubose's offensive comments and cruel personality, Atticus practices compassion and tolerance by telling Jem,

Easy does it, son...She’s an old lady and she’s ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it’s your job not to let her make you mad. (Lee, 103).

Atticus sympathizes with Mrs. Dubose's difficult situation by making Jem read to her every afternoon for two hours; Jem's company helps her overcome her morphine addiction. By treating Mrs. Dubose with respect, compassion, and sympathy, Atticus practices the Golden Rule.

Atticus once again exercises the Golden Rule in chapter 16. Following the tense situation outside of the Maycomb jailhouse, Atticus practices the Golden Rule by sympathizing with Walter Cunningham. Atticus does not judge him by his previous actions, even though he disagreed with them. Atticus forgives Walter for placing him and his children in a compromising, dangerous situation and explains to Jem and Scout,

Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man...he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us...He might have hurt me a little...but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. (Lee, 159).

Throughout the novel, Atticus makes a point to see people for who they are. He tries not to fall prey to stereotypes and personal opinions. Overall, he treats others fairly and kindly.

Atticus constantly practices the Golden Rule, which involves treating others the way one would like to be treated. One might even argue that Atticus takes this practice to an extreme. For example, after the trial of Tom Robinson, Jem tells Atticus that he is worried about his father's safety and that Atticus should do something about Mr. Ewell, who might want to seek revenge against Atticus. However, Atticus tells Jem, "Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with." Atticus understands that Bob Ewell had to spit in Atticus's face to save his own pride, and he does not believe in pursuing Bob Ewell or taking any action against him. Instead, he treats Bob Ewell the way he would want to be treated: respectfully.

In addition, Atticus always treats Boo Radley with respect, while others treat Boo differently because he is developmentally disabled. After Boo has saved Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell, Atticus says, “Thank you for my children, Arthur." He refers to Boo with his correct first name, and he treats Boo the way he would like to be treated—with respect and dignity.

The golden rule says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This means that a person should treat others how he or she wants to be treated. Generally, people want to be treated fairly and with kindness, compassion and courtesy. At six years old, Scout Finch is just starting to learn this rule because her solution is to become physically violent with other children when her pride is challenged. Atticus, being the kind and compassionate person and father that he is, takes the time to teach Scout the golden rule. He also demonstrates it in his social and professional life as well.

One example of Atticus using the golden rule is when he teaches it to his daughter to help her get along with others at school.

"First of all. . . if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (30).

This is Atticus's "trick" for how to apply the golden rule. Once you look at life from another person's point of view, it's easier to show compassion towards them--or at least speak to them with respect without lowering oneself in the process.

Then, Atticus shows that he uses his own advice after Bob Ewell spits in his face and provokes him to a fight in public. Jem doesn't understand how Atticus puts up with people like that, so Atticus explains as follows:

"Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take" (218).

Atticus does not condone Bob Ewell's actions, he simply won't stoop to a lower level. Plus, by applying the golden rule in this situation, Atticus avoids a fight and may have helped someone else in the process.

One last example of Atticus using the golden rule is when he deals with Mrs. Dubose. She's an old lady who bad-mouths Atticus behind his back and to his children. Rather than respond accordingly, Atticus will take off his hat and say, "Good evening, Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening." He also teaches Jem the following:

"Easy does it, son. . . She's an old lady and she's ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it's your job not to let her make you mad" (100).

By applying the golden rule, Atticus teaches his children not to get riled up by what people say or think. He also shows that he won't lower himself to bad behavior or disrespecting others. As a result, people are respectful to his face, and ultimately, they respect him deep down, too.

The Golden Rule states that you should treat others the way you want to be treated. Atticus uses this principle as the foundation of his integrity which he enacts in his daily life. By living out this principle, he becomes a role model for the kids and the town. Along Scout's journey, Atticus stops to reinforce the Golden Rule through teachable moments.

We first see this rule reinforced when Scout ignorantly calls out Walter Cunningham and his family at school. Her naivety is reinforced when she sees Walter eat. Between Cal and Atticus, Scout learns a lesson about judgment and treating all people, no matter who they are, with respect.

Atticus also tries to drive this point home when Scout starts getting bullied by Cecil Jacobs and her cousin. The kids in question don't understand the negative things they are saying about Atticus and the trial, but they hurt Scout deeply. Her response is anger and violence, but Atticus again tries to instill the fact that violence won't solve anything. He knows it's difficult for Scout, but he wants her to walk away with her head held high and remain respectful and polite. This is another way of teaching Scout to lead through her actions.

Perhaps the clearest and most noble projection of treating others the way you'd like to be treated stems from the trial. Atticus takes Tom's case, but the rampant racism in Maycomb creates a clear divide. Atticus again leads by example, showing he has no prejudice towards anyone. He defends a black man, treats the black community with the utmost respect, and ensures his kids will grow up doing the same.

Throughout the novel, we see Atticus defending those who aren't able to defend themselves, such as Tom, the Radleys, the Cunninghams, and even the Ewells, promoting the concepts of compassion, empathy, and perspective. He never says a bad word about anyone, aiming to show his kids that anyone is capable of rising above hatred, prejudice, and violence. Atticus walks the walk; he doesn't just talk the talk.

The Golden Rule is the principle of treating others the way you would want to be treated. In Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus attempts to instill the concept of the Golden Rule in his children by teaching them important life lessons while encouraging them to exercise compassion, empathy, and tolerance. Atticus not only specifically teaches his children lessons on perspective, equality, and kindness but also behaves like a positive role model for Jem and Scout to follow. After Scout's rough first day of school, Atticus teaches her to view situations from other people's perspectives to exercise tolerance and empathy. Atticus also teaches the Golden Rule when he chastises the children for playing the Boo Radley game and attempting to leave him a note in the window sill of his house. Atticus instructs his children to leave Boo Radley alone, stop trespassing onto his property, and refrain from playing the rude game in their front yard.

In chapter ten, Atticus teaches his children a significant lesson regarding the importance of protecting innocent, vulnerable beings by telling them that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. In chapter eleven, Atticus once again teaches the Golden Rule by encouraging Jem to sympathize with Mrs. Dubose and excuse her ornery personality because she is old and ill. Atticus also exercises the Golden Rule in chapter sixteen after the tense interaction with the lynch mob by sympathizing with Mr. Cunningham. Instead of criticizing Mr. Cunningham and labeling him a violent racist, Atticus tells his children,

Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man...he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us. (Lee, 159)

Atticus also embodies the Golden Rule by valiantly defending Tom Robinson in front of a racist jury and championing racial equality. Atticus treats Tom Robinson the way he would want to be treated and defends Tom to the best of his ability. Overall, Atticus teaches the Golden Rule by sharing important life lessons with the children and behaving like a positive role model for them to follow.

The Golden Rule states that a person should treat others in the way that they would want to be treated.  Atticus consistently teaches his children to live their lives in a way that follows the Golden Rule.  

Atticus is a man who has empathy for others.  He teaches his children to walk in the shoes of others when they are frustrated or mad at them.  For example, when Scout is frustrated because Miss Caroline punishes her, Atticus tells her to consider her teacher's perspective.  Her teacher is new to the area and does not know the way things are in Maycomb.

One night, a mob with ill intentions approaches Atticus, who is guarding Tom Robinson at the jail.  Scout spots Walter Cunningham, Sr. in the mob.  She is friends with his son.  Scout speaks to Mr. Cunningham with friendliness, and eventually he loses his desire to bother Atticus or Tom and tells the mob to leave.  Atticus talks to his children about this:

"...maybe we need a police force of children… you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute.  That was enough" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 16).

He teaches Scout and Jem that other people who follow the Golden Rule will also treat others well.  He tells them that Mr. Cunningham had a change of heart and changed his mind.

Atticus is a morally upright individual who shares numerous life lessons with his daughter, Scout, throughout the novel. There are several significant rules that Atticus lives by which could be considered "Golden." In my opinion, Atticus' "Golden Rule" is, follow your conscience and do the right thing, even if it means disagreeing with other people. In Chapter 11, Atticus has a conversation with Scout, and she tells him that he must be wrong for defending Tom Robinson because the entire community disagrees with him. Atticus says, "The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience" (Lee 140). Atticus is essentially telling his daughter that despite what others say about him, the most important thing is to follow his conscience. Atticus believes in justice and equality, which is why he chooses to defend Tom. Maycomb's prejudiced community opposes Atticus' decision simply because Tom Robinson is an African American. Atticus goes on to tell Scout that he couldn't live with himself if he didn't try his best to prove that Tom is innocent. Scout learns from Atticus to be true to herself and to always do the right thing, even if it means disagreeing with popular opinions.